House Votes Second Time for Repeal

WASHINGTON – Today the U.S. House of Representatives voted 250-175 on legislation to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT). This historic action is the second time the House passed repeal legislation this year. In May the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), to which repeal legislation was successfully attached.

“Today the U.S. House of Representatives said, for the second time, what military leaders, the majority of our troops and 80 percent of the American public have been saying all along – the only thing that matters on the battlefield is the ability to do the job,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “We are grateful to Majority Leader Hoyer and Rep. Murphy for championing repeal and for Speaker Pelosi’s continuing leadership. The Senate must now follow their lead.”

Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) introduced the free-standing DADT repeal bill yesterday, H.R. 6520. The new bill is identical to the language in Rep. Murphy’s DADT repeal amendment that passed in the House in May. Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the companion bill, S.4023, last week after the failed Senate vote to proceed to debate the National Defense Authorization Act, to which repeal legislation was attached. The Senate bill currently has 48 bipartisan cosponsors.

“Momentum is on the side of ending ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “The leadership of Rep. Murphy and Majority Leader Hoyer was critical to passage in the House. Now it is up to the Senate to consign this failed and discriminatory law to the dustbin of history.”

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.